Put down those light weights!!!

Not seeing the results that you want to be seeing from your workout?? Better check the size of those weights! Women are so scared of heavy weights, I just do not understand this. We do not have testosterone like men to develop large muscles and unless you are taking steroids you are not going to end up looking like one of those women body builders, it just is not going to happen! If you think that working out every muscle group with 5 lb weights is going to give you the results that you want to see, you are kidding yourself. You cannot work the shoulders (which require a lighter weight) with the same amount of weight that you are going to work your quads- one of the largest muscles in the body, they require a heavier weight. The biceps and triceps can work with a heavier weight than the shoulders too. Girls, when you come to boot camp, you should not be working with one size weight. You should be bringing a moderate (notice I did NOT say light- 3lbs is NOT going to cut it!) and a heavier weight. Your reps should not be easy. If you can breeze through your reps then you weights are too light! If we are doing 3 sets of 10, then at 10 you should not be able to do any more without taking a rest. Now really ask yourself, be honest, are your weights heavy enough?? I can tell you that every boot camper should have a set of 8lb weights and a set of 10 lbs weights and you girls who have been there awhile should have 12s or 15s and 10s. You WANT it to be hard, you WANT to reach muscle failure, if you are not then you are not going to see the results that you want. Building lean muscle is what you want to do, that lean muscle is going to burn more calories and a pound of lean muscle takes up more space in the body so the more muscle that you put on the leaner you are. You will not look like a body builder, so do not use that as an excuse. And you are not going to "bulk" up. If you think you are bulking up then chances are this is your natural build. If you have been working with the same weight for a long time, you HAVE to go up in weight. Your body is going to plateau, it needs t be challenged, don't look for the easy workout, challenge your body and just wait until you see the changes, you will love it!

To quote Mr Jack LaLanne, fitness pioneer:

"So many people will just take five pound weights and do something 10 times. What are they getting out of it? Nothing!"

Here are a few good articles on the subject
http://exercise.about.com/od/exerciseworkouts/a/liftingheavy.htm

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/female_athletes.htm

http://realwomensfitness.com/upper-body-exercises/should-you-use-heavy-weights-for-toned-womens-arms/